the alkahest-第12节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



husband's　feet；　might　have　called　to　her　aid　the　attitudes　of　grief；

but　to　Madame　Claes　the　sense　of　physical　defects　only　added　to　her

fears。　When　she　saw　Balthazar　about　to　leave　the　room；　her　impulse　was

to　spring　towards　him；　then　a　cruel　thought　restrained　hershe　should

stand　before　him！　would　she　not　seem　ridiculous　in　the　eyes　of　a　man

no　longer　under　the　glamour　of　lovewho　might　see　true？　She　resolved

to　avoid　all　dangerous　chances　at　so　solemn　a　moment；　and　remained

seated；　saying　in　a　clear　voice；



〃Balthazar。〃



He　turned　mechanically　and　coughed；　then；　paying　no　attention　to　his

wife；　he　walked　to　one　of　the　little　square　boxes　that　are　placed　at

intervals　along　the　wainscoting　of　every　room　in　Holland　and　Belgium；

and　spat　in　it。　This　man；　who　took　no　thought　of　other　persons；　never

forgot　the　inveterate　habit　of　using　those　boxes。　To　poor　Josephine；

unable　to　find　a　reason　for　this　singularity；　the　constant　care　which

her　husband　took　of　the　furniture　caused　her　at　all　times　an

unspeakable　pang；　but　at　this　moment　the　pain　was　so　violent　that　it

put　her　beside　herself　and　made　her　exclaim　in　a　tone　of　impatience；

which　expressed　her　wounded　feelings；



〃Monsieur；　I　am　speaking　to　you！〃



〃What　does　that　mean？〃　answered　Balthazar；　turning　quickly；　and

casting　a　look　of　reviving　intelligence　upon　his　wife；　which　fell　upon

her　like　a　thunderbolt。



〃Forgive　me；　my　friend；〃　she　said；　turning　pale。　She　tried　to　rise　and

put　out　her　hand　to　him；　but　her　strength　gave　way　and　she　fell　back。

〃I　am　dying！〃　she　cried　in　a　voice　choked　by　sobs。



At　the　sight　Balthazar　had；　like　all　abstracted　persons；　a　vivid

reaction　of　mind；　and　he　divined；　so　to　speak；　the　secret　cause　of

this　attack。　Taking　Madame　Claes　at　once　in　his　arms；　he　opened　the

door　upon　the　little　antechamber；　and　ran　so　rapidly　up　the　ancient

wooden　staircase　that　his　wife's　dress　having　caught　on　the　jaws　of

one　of　the　griffins　that　supported　the　balustrade；　a　whole　breadth　was

torn　off　with　a　loud　noise。　He　kicked　in　the　door　of　the　vestibule

between　their　chambers；　but　the　door　of　Josephine's　bedroom　was

locked。



He　gently　placed　her　on　a　chair；　saying　to　himself；　〃My　God！　the　key；

where　is　the　key？〃



〃Thank　you；　dear　friend；〃　said　Madame　Claes；　opening　her　eyes。　〃This

is　the　first　time　for　a　long；　long　while　that　I　have　been　so　near　your

heart。〃



〃Good　God！〃　cried　Claes；　〃the　key！here　come　the　servants。〃



Josephine　signed　to　him　to　take　a　key　that　hung　from　a　ribbon　at　her

waist。　After　opening　the　door；　Balthazar　laid　his　wife　on　a　sofa；　and

left　the　room　to　stop　the　frightened　servants　from　coming　up　by　giving

them　orders　to　serve　the　dinner；　then　he　went　back　to　Madame　Claes。



〃What　is　it；　my　dear　life？〃　he　said；　sitting　down　beside　her；　and

taking　her　hand　and　kissing　it。



〃Nothingnow；〃　she　answered。　〃I　suffer　no　longer。　Only；　I　would　I　had

the　power　of　God　to　pour　all　the　gold　of　the　world　at　thy　feet。〃



〃Why　gold？〃　he　asked。　He　took　her　in　his　arms；　pressed　her　to　him　and

kissed　her　once　more　upon　the　forehead。　〃Do　you　not　give　me　the

greatest　of　all　riches　in　loving　me　as　you　do　love　me；　my　dear　and

precious　wife？〃



〃Oh！　my　Balthazar；　will　you　not　drive　away　the　anguish　of　our　lives　as

your　voice　now　drives　out　the　misery　of　my　heart？　At　last；　at　last；　I

see　that　you　are　still　the　same。〃



〃What　anguish　do　you　speak　of；　dear？〃




〃My　friend；　we　are　ruined。〃



〃Ruined！〃　he　repeated。　Then；　with　a　smile；　he　stroked　her　hand；

holding　it　within　his　own；　and　said　in　his　tender　voice；　so　long

unheard：　〃To…morrow；　dear　love；　our　wealth　may　perhaps　be　limitless。

Yesterday；　in　searching　for　a　far　more　important　secret；　I　think　I

found　the　means　of　crystallizing　carbon；　the　substance　of　the　diamond。

Oh；　my　dear　wife！　in　a　few　days'　time　you　will　forgive　me　all　my

forgetfulnessI　am　forgetful　sometimes；　am　I　not？　Was　I　not　harsh　to

you　just　now？　Be　indulgent　for　a　man　who　never　ceases　to　think　of　you；

whose　toils　are　full　of　youof　us。〃



〃Enough；　enough！〃　she　said；　〃let　us　talk　of　it　all　to…night；　dear

friend。　I　suffered　from　too　much　grief；　and　now　I　suffer　from　too　much

joy。〃



〃To…night；〃　he　resumed；　〃yes；　willingly：　we　will　talk　of　it。　If　I　fall

into　meditation；　remind　me　of　this　promise。　To…night　I　desire　to　leave

my　work；　my　researches；　and　return　to　family　joys；　to　the　delights　of

the　heartPepita；　I　need　them；　I　thirst　for　them！〃



〃You　will　tell　me　what　it　is　you　seek；　Balthazar？〃



〃Poor　child；　you　cannot　understand　it。〃



〃You　think　so？　Ah！　my　friend；　listen；　for　nearly　four　months　I　have

studied　chemistry　that　I　might　talk　of　it　with　you。　I　have　read

Fourcroy；　Lavoisier；　Chaptal；　Nollet；　Rouelle；　Berthollet；　Gay…Lussac；

Spallanzani；　Leuwenhoek；　Galvani；　Volta；in　fact；　all　the　books　about

the　science　you　worship。　You　can　tell　me　your　secrets；　I　shall

understand　you。〃



〃Oh！　you　are　indeed　an　angel；〃　cried　Balthazar；　falling　at　her　feet；

and　shedding　tears　of　tender　feeling　that　made　her　quiver。　〃Yes；　we

will　understand　each　other　in　all　things。〃



〃Ah！〃　she　cried；　〃I　would　throw　myself　into　those　hellish　fires　which

heat　your　furnaces　to　hear　these　words　from　your　lips　and　to　see　you

thus。〃　Then；　hearing　her　daughter's　step　in　the　anteroom；　she　sprang

quickly　forward。　〃What　is　it；　Marguerite？〃　she　said　to　her　eldest

daughter。



〃My　dear　mother；　Monsieur　Pierquin　has　just　come。　If　he　stays　to

dinner　we　need　some　table…linen；　you　forgot　to　give　it　out　this

morning。〃



Madame　Claes　drew　from　her　pocket　a　bunch　of　small　keys　and　gave　them

to　the　young　girl；　pointing　to　the　mahogany　closets　which　lined　the

ante…chamber　as　she　said：



〃My　daughter；　take　a　set　of　the　Graindorge　linen；　it　is　on　your

right。〃



〃Since　my　dear　Balthazar　comes　back　to　me；　let　the　return　be

complete；〃　she　said；　re…entering　her　chamber　with　a　soft　and　arch

expression　on　her　face。　〃My　friend；　go　into　your　own　room；　do　me　the

kindness　to　dress　for　dinner；　Pierquin　will　be　with　us。　Come；　take　off

this　ragged　clothing；　see　those　stains！　Is　it　muratic　or　sulphuric

acid　which　left　these　yellow　edges　to　the　holes？　Make　yourself　young

again；I　will　send　you　Mulquinier　as　soon　as　I　have　changed　my

dress。〃



Balthazar　attempted　to　pass　through　the　door　of　communication；

forgetting　that　it　was　locked　on　his　side。　He　went　out　through　the

anteroom。



〃Marguerite；　put　the　linen　on　a　chair；　and　come　and　help　me　dress；　I

don't　want　Martha；〃　said　Madame　Claes；　calling　her　daughter。



Balthazar　had　caught　Marguerite　and　turned　her　towards　him　with　a

joyous　action；　exclaiming：　〃Good…evening；　my　child；　how　pretty　you　are

in　your　muslin　gown　and　that　pink　sash！〃　Then　he　kissed　her　forehead

and　pressed　her　hand。



〃Mamma；　papa　has　kissed　me！〃　cried　Marguerite；　running　into　her

mother's　room。　〃He　seems　so　joyous；　so　happy！〃



〃My　child；　your　father　is　a　great　man；　for　three　years　he　has　toiled

for　the　fame　and　fortune　of　his　family：　he　thinks　he　has　attained　the

object　of　his　search。　This　day　is　a　festival　for　us　all。〃



〃My　dear　mamma；〃　replied　Marguerite；　〃we　shall　not　be　alone　in　our

joy；　for　the　servants　have　been　so　grieved　to　see　him　unlike　himself。

Oh！　put　on　another　sash；　this　is　faded。〃



〃So　be　it；　but　make　haste；　I　want　to　speak　to　Pierquin。　Where　is　he？〃



〃In　the　parlor；　playing　with　Jean。〃



〃Where　are　Gabriel　and　Felicie？〃



〃I　hear　them　in　the　garden。〃



〃Run　down　quickly　and　see　that　they　do　not　pick　the　tulips；　your

father　has　not　seen　them　in　flower　this　year；　and　he　may　take　a　fancy

to　look　at　them　after　dinner。　Tell　Mulquinier　to　go　up　and　assist　your

father　in　dressing。〃







CHAPTER　V



As　Marguerite　left　the　room；　Madame　Claes　glanced　at　the　children

through　the　windows　of　her　chamber；　which　looked　on　the　garden；　and

saw　that　they　were　watching　one　of　those　insects　with　shining　wings

spotted　with　gold；　commonly　called　〃darning…needles。〃



〃Be　good；　my　darlings；〃　she　said；　raising　the　lower　sash　of　the　window

and　leaving　it　up　to　air　the　room。　Then　she　knocked　gently　on　the　door

of　communication；　to　assure　herself　that　Balthazar　had　not　fallen　into

abstraction。　He　opened　it；　and　seeing　him　half…dressed；　she　said　in

joyous　tones：



〃You　won't　leave　me　long　with　Pierquin；　will　you？　Come　as　soon　as　you

can。〃



Her　step　was　so　light　as　she　descended　that　a　listener　would　never

have　supposed　her　lame。



〃When　monsieur　carried　madame　upstairs；〃　said　the　old　valet；　whom　she

met　on　the　staircase；　〃he　tore　this　bit　out　of　her　dress；　and　he　broke

the　jaw　of　that　griffin；　I'm　sure　I　don't　know　who　can　put　it　on

again。　There's　our　staircase　ruinedand　it　used　to　be　so　handsome！〃



〃Never　mind；　my　poor　Mulquinier；　don't　have　it　mended　at　allit　is

not　a　misfortune；〃　said　his　mistress。



〃What　can　have　happened？〃　thought　Lemulquinier；　〃why　isn't　it　a

m